________________
CHAPTER V
OTHER TOPICS RELATED TO PARIŅĀMA
Introductory
In this Chapter I propose to treat other topics of Sāmkhya philosophy which are directly or indirectly conditioned by the concept of Pariņāma or which in some way throw light on the character of Pariņāma. These pertain to the concept of Akaša and Kūla, the derivation of the different categories from Prakrti, their character, the nature of the relation between Prakrti and Puruşa, the purpose guiding pariņāma and the function given to, Isvara by Yoga in it.
Concept of. Ākāśa and Kala in Sāmkhya-Yoga
The foregoing discussion of the different aspects of parināma especially the last one viz., its relation to causality brings us to the consideration of the problem of Time (Kāla) and Space (Akāśa) in the Samkhya-Yoga system. The Skā. does not say anything on the concept of Kāla. . Amongst its commentaries only the STK. incidentally touches it. The VB., the TVS., and YV. deal with it at some length. Vyāsa explains it as follows:
As an aton is a substance in which minuteness reaches its limit, so a moment is a division of time in which minuteness. reaches its limit. Or a moment is that much of time which an atom takes in leaving the position in space it occupies and reaching the next point. The succession of moments is the noncessation of the flow thereof. The moments and their collection do not fall into a collection of actual things. The Muhurta, the day and night are all aggregates of mental conceptions. This time which is not a substantive reality in itself, but is only a mental concept, and which comes into the mind as a piece of verhle knowledge only, appears to people whose minds are given to out